In the research and development of a portable fuel cell, how to secure and supply hydrogen gas as fuel is an important technical problem to be solved. In connection with conventional methods of producing hydrogen gas, studies have been conducted on a method of decomposing water by use of photochemical reaction, a method of chemically converting city gas into hydrogen gas, a method of decomposing organic molecules with a strong acid, a method of synthesizing hydrogen gas by decomposing methanol together with water molecules through catalytic reaction, and so forth, and continual efforts have been made to put those methodes to commercial application. There are also automobile makers studying on a method of obtaining hydrogen by reforming gasoline.
However, the method of decomposing water by use of photo-chemical reaction has drawbacks in that it is not suited for application to a portable type producer of hydrogen gas because a large catalyst area for receiving light is required, and in addition, a production rate of hydrogen is low, necessitating storage of hydrogen for many hours. Further, the method of decomposing organic molecules with a strong acid has a drawback in that methoding of the acid is accompanied by hazards. Still further, the method of decomposing methanol together with water molecules by catalytic reaction has drawbacks in that, for example, high temperature not lower than 150° C. is required, a method of converting CO molecules obtained as by-product into CO2 molecules before discharging is required, and a large quantity of water is required because methanol is diluted with water before use. Meanwhile, research and development have been conducted for long time on a method of causing hydrogen gas to be evolved by use of a metal alloy for hydrogen storage in place of the methodes of producing hydrogen gas, however, this method has not reached a stage of commercial application as yet, and has a drawback in that there is the need for applying heat at the time of hydrogen evolution. Thus, with the conventional methodes, it is in reality difficult to produce hydrogen gas serving as a satisfactory fuel for the portable fuel cell.
Under the circumstances, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method of producing hydrogen gas serving as fuel for a portable fuel cell, whereby hydrogen gas can be provided at room temperature easily, safely and inexpensively.